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La Guardia 411 - (congestion/construction issues)


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Yes, that is what I'm saying. 3:30-7:00 is the height of rush hour. The advice from the New Yorkers is that you have to be near LGA no later than 5 pm to make your flight.

 

"near LGA", particularly at 5:00 PM, could still leave you with over an hour to get to your terminal. The worst of the traffic occurs between "near LGA" and your terminal entrance. You want to be out of your car/taxi and entering the terminal no later than 5:00 PM. That time of day calls for two hours to check bags and clear security - even in the terminal LGA is a mess.

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OP here, just wanted to report back on our experience. We used Luxor Limo services, the driver picked us up at the Marriott Marquis Times Square at 3:30 and we we at LGA at 4:15. He took us uptown to Harlem and over the Tri Borough bridge. Not a stitch of traffic, and it was raining. Thank you all for your advice. :)

 

ETA: we were at our gate at 4:40p. Security was a breeze (as was curbside check in)

 

 

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Edited by Cruiser Who Knows Nothing
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OP here, just wanted to report back on our experience. ... Security was a breeze (as was curbside check in)
Glad to hear what it was a lot smoother than planned & faster ... the heavy rain/downpour in the morning had eased up by the afternoon and all the events over the weekend + U.N. probably kept some drivers off the roads, switching to mass transit.

 

Which airline/terminal did you used @ LGA, assumed you're flying home to ORD or MDW and how was your trip coming into NY in getting to your hotel at the airport. Thanks for sharing your success with us, very much appreciated.

 

Traffic leaving going toward LGA/Queens are the worst lately from Lower Manhattan (has always been that way - from the Williamsburg Bridge on BQE or I-278 over the Newtown Creek) and Midtown Tunnel onto LIE or I-495 (with the extra East Side traffic gridlock this week.)

 

Car service drivers took one of the best bypass route, going uptown & across Harlme (125th Street, west to east) to the former Triborough Bridge (now called RFK Br.) to LGA - excellent choice.

 

Coming from south NJ yesterday, traffic was a lot lighter at mid-day coming thru Staten Island via Outerbridge Crossing (Bayonne Bridge closed till 3 PM) - Waze / Google Navigation had us cutting thru central Brooklyn from 4th Ave / Park Slope (southeast of Brooklyn Cruise Terminal's waterfront area) via Eastern Parkway to the Jackie Robinson Parkway to the Van Wyck, avoid the entire stretch of BQE - it would've taken 35 to 40 minutes to reach LGA coming from a different direction with more distance, mileage-wise but saving 15 minutes.

 

Many seasoned business flyers, given the choices, are still avoiding LGA if they could in the near future. Below is the snapshot of a typical 5 PM traffic map for NYC, routes with the reds are best avoided and/or allow extra time to get thru (for those familiar with reading/using it.) ... live cam image on the right is for GCP Eastbound at (near Marine Air Terminal) Astoria Blvd, about 1/2 mile before LGA Airport's exit.

32e050723bbde8507ae9128c5934a6ef.jpg

Edited by mking8288
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We arrived at terminal B on Friday pick up was simple. Driving in, was maybe an hour tops. To me it seemed just like normal traffic. I'm unsure of our departure terminal, but we flew SWA.

 

Our driver told me the the bridge is now RFK, and I told him I refuse to call it that, just as I will never call the Sears Tower, the Willis Tower. Ridiculous. Lol

 

 

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Mass Transit update at LGA, the popular MTA Q70 Bus route is now SBS services for faster ride to/from LGA airport for lightly packed travelers. (Select Bus Services - prepaid fares ahead before boarding, keep printed receipt as proof for inspection upon request, at bus stops along the serviced routes - use all available doors to board.)

 

No longer need to swipe your MetroCard upon boarding at the front of the clearly marked buses designated as SBS). Luggage racks are available onboard all Q70 SBS buses and it is accessible friendly. Those traveling with 22" carry-on and backpack, etc. might find this an option to head to/from Manhattan - connections at the 61 Street/Woodside for LIRR, #7 subway or at the 74th Street/Roosevelt Ave subway station for subways #7, E, F, M or R trains.

 

Typically, this re-designated SBS bus service will connect from the subway stations to LGA in about 15 to 25 minutes, stopping first at Terminal B (the larger/bigger/central terminal for most travelers) and then onward to Terminal C and Terminal D (where Delta & alliance partners are gated with their flights) before returning to the subways in a loop. It does NOT service Terminal A & better known as Marine Air Terminal on the "other" side of LGA, used mostly by Delta short haul/commuter flights - which, unfortunately, is nearest to the designated free cellphone lot for drivers and for Meet-N-Greet pickup for car services.

 

Here's the latest official MTA announcements - http://laguardiaairport.com/news/q70-laguardia-link-sbs/

This is the Q70 SBS bus schedule, including maps & useful info - download & keep it stored on your tablet or smartphone for easy reference.

http://web.mta.info/busco/schedules/q070scur.pdf

 

For travelers looking for free WiFi, most if not all of the Manhattan subway station platforms & concourse area now has free WiFi - look for the SSiD "TransitWirelessWiFi" & connect ... as always, it is insecured just like those at McDonalds & Starbucks, use with care. The Main Street, Flushing (#7 subway train) station has been WiFi enabled for months - the 61 Street/Woodside & 74th Street/Roosevelt Ave. subway stations should be live with free WiFi availability soon, if not already.

f17f4c2ed46f691d3874b3ff8d05818a.jpg

 

Traffic congestion on/near the Grand Central Parkway to/from LGA at peak airport travel time had eased somewhat, however - the congestions and delays are still present once you are on airport's interior network of roadways. The old main terminal (Terminal B) multi-story parking (and, alternate pickup/dropoff) is being torn down and there's a lot of construction equipment & activities) - please continue to allow plenty of extra travel time. This is a snapshot of a recent Friday afternoon traffic map of the hotspots - red is "bad" - LGA is doing okay, heavy eastbound heading there; but BQE near Queens & Brooklyn border on I-278, as previously mentioned - that's almost at a standstill.

de6bf854dc3aea0bea834c544cdd37ac.jpg

 

Sunday, November 6th, 2016 is NYC Marathon - travelers cruising in/out of Manhattan terminal or Brooklyn terminal should pay special attention and leave plenty, plenty, plenty of extra travel time and plan B & plan C in getting around on Sunday morning. This is a 5 borough (counties) annual runner's race and security is expected to be tight and there will be widespread street detours & closures on Sunday morning.

Edited by mking8288
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Great update, but I have a question.

 

So in my fantasy trip from Boston to New York when hell freezes over, I'm flying to LGA with my carryon and rolling backpack and want to take the Q70 to Woodside to catch the subway. The piece that's missing for me is how I would prepay the fare ahead before boarding so I would have a printed receipt as proof of payment upon request. Are there machines at each bus stop where you can buy tickets and get the printed receipt? What if you already have a Metrocard with money on it? Do the machines accept credit cards, debit cards, paper money, coins?

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... Boston to New York when hell freezes over, I'm flying to LGA with my carryon and rolling backpack and want to take the Q70 to Woodside to catch the subway. The piece that's missing for me is how I would prepay the fare ahead before boarding so I would have a printed receipt as proof of payment upon request. Are there machines at each bus stop where you can buy tickets and get the printed receipt? What if you already have a Metrocard with money on it? Do the machines accept credit cards, debit cards, paper money, coins?

Short answer is "yes" and here's a direct link to what the SBS terminals looked like. At busy stations - there are more than 1 sets of each pair - type A accepting Metro Card and type B accepting only coins, no dollar bills ... sorry, I know, I hate carrying around lots of quarters, except for feeding parking meters around town. That's 11 quarters per SBS ride - fare is $2.75 per person or a swipe of the MetroCard with stored value on it. Board at the front door & request a transfer ticket from the bus driver (best to get a Metro Card first, easiest for the bus to subway transfer into Manhattan)

 

There are both regular Metro Card kiosk at all 4 terminals at LGA - the regular Metro Card kiosk accepting cash, coins, debits/ATM and credit cards for payment (some terminals are debit/ATM/credit cards only) for buying or refilling Metro Card(s). Then, use the Metro Card to pay for the SBS trip at the SBS kiosks at all 3 terminals with SBS bus service for a printed receipt (time-stamped & valid for x # of hours only) - that's proof to ride when boarded by NYPD Transit Police for fare inspection purposes.

 

(Scroll down to see linked image for the fare kiosks) http://web.mta.info/mta/planning/sbs/offboard.html

 

There's another SBS route - M60 that runs between LGA and Manhattan's 125th Street, with connection to numerous subway lines since 2014 - although it is not likely popular with cruise ship passengers loaded with luggage. http://web.mta.info/mta/planning/sbs/lga_analysis.html

 

Although, I should note that with my "infrequent" trips to/from Manhattan on the subways, usually on the #7 and N/Q/R lines - many frugal & younger travelers doing just fine with 24" and 25" rollers & spinners along with their backpacks ... as long as they avoid peak weekday times where subways & platforms are packed. Getting around on weekends with subways are always tricky with scheduled maintenance & service changes - always consult & refer to the official MTA website to plan one's travel using the interactive trip planner.

Edited by mking8288
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SBS or Select Bus Service is proof of payment (POP) fare system. You have to have a validated ticket purchased from the SBS fare machine at all SBS stops.

SBS buses you can enter any door.

Q70 is supposed to get luggage racks, don't know if they did. I was at airport Sunday and say them, they have the SBS livery.

M60 which is not SBS does have luggage racks but the city buses were in the same snarl I was driving from Terminal D all the way around the airport to Terminal A.

The crawl in front of Terminal B was the most painful and the Taxi line was HUGE. You have a queue in front of the Terminal, assigned a bay number and then work from the queue towards Terminal C where they have stalls made out of plywood with numbers where the yellow taxi will come to pick you up.

 

This was all from observation, as I sat in the car.

FWIW

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We flew out of LGA to Chicago on 9/22 and back on 9/26 for a wedding - on Delta Shuttle which fortunately uses Terminal A (the old Marine Terminal) with its own access road avoiding much of the LGA mess- still there was almost an extra half hour on the GCP each way because of everyone else getting hung up.

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Thanks everyone for your help here,

We had a great cruise,

I just wanted to tell you of our experience. .

We got back Sat 9-24,

We had booked Carmel to pick us up at Schwartz luggage at 2 for a 6 PM flight.

We were at LGA and checked in at 2:50. We went thru a tunnel if that matters.

I guess you could push if farther time wise but we were ok getting there early.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have been reading all these posts and have a question. We are arriving at La Guardia on Monday late afternoon. We will be staying overnight at Hotel Indigo in Brooklyn. Would we be better booking a car service or will a cab do in this instance?. Thank You

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I have been reading all these posts and have a question. We are arriving at La Guardia on Monday late afternoon. We will be staying overnight at Hotel Indigo in Brooklyn. Would we be better booking a car service or will a cab do in this instance?. Thank You

 

Personally, I would use a car service. You'll pay a fixed fare, plus tip. When a taxi gets stuck in traffic, the meter keeps running and rolls up the fare. When you take a car service traffic won't affect your fare. You'll be traveling around the time of rush hour, so traffic can be a mess even without the construction at LGA .

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Hi I have a question, we will be returning from an 11 day Classic Canada cruise via Princess which usually docks in Red Hook. The Princess site says no flights before 12:15 for LGA or 1:15 for JFK or EWR. We are arriving on a Sunday in mid October next year...we have 3 options of flights and wondering which you think would be good given the construction at LGA:

 

Southwest flight out of LGA at 12:25 on that Sunday (cheapest)

Delta out of JFK at 1:45 on that Sunday

United out of EWR at 2:50 on that Sunday

 

Ship arrives at 7:15 am. We are using the princess shuttle as it is part of our package deal we got with the land tour we are doing beforehand. In 2012 we flew out of LGA after a CA/NE cruise had a 12:35 flight and used the princess shuttle (1st one) with a meet time of 8:30 and had plenty of time to get to airport, this year we have flown out of EWR so we have experience with LGA and EWR...never been to JFK...:confused: Thanks in advance for advice.

Edited by cruzrbachoua
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Hi I have a question, we will be returning from an 11 day Classic Canada cruise via Princess which usually docks in Red Hook. The Princess site says no flights before 12:15 for LGA or 1:15 for JFK or EWR. We are arriving on a Sunday in mid October next year...we have 3 options of flights and wondering which you think would be good given the construction at LGA:

 

Southwest flight out of LGA at 12:25 on that Sunday (cheapest)

Delta out of JFK at 1:45 on that Sunday

United out of EWR at 2:50 on that Sunday

 

Ship arrives at 7:15 am. We are using the princess shuttle as it is part of our package deal we got with the land tour we are doing beforehand. In 2012 we flew out of LGA after a CA/NE cruise had a 12:35 flight and used the princess shuttle (1st one) with a meet time of 8:30 and had plenty of time to get to airport, this year we have flown out of EWR so we have experience with LGA and EWR...never been to JFK...:confused: Thanks in advance for advice.

 

You should be OK with a 12:25 out of LGA, but how do you know what the flight schedules and prices are for mid October 2017 ? None of the airlines have flights available for booking that far in advance.

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You should be OK with a 12:25 out of LGA, but how do you know what the flight schedules and prices are for mid October 2017 ? None of the airlines have flights available for booking that far in advance.

 

I am basing on the history of SW. I see that they have had the same flight schedules for this October and still running currently up til April. They offer the same flight at the same times over and over again on a Sunday so I am assuming they will keep it constant. I of course don't know 10% but I am using it as a guideline as to either wait for them to open or book when United and Delta opens up which should be probably another month.

 

So given all the traffic you would still choose to take the 12:25 flight out of LGA? I just don't want to ruin a wonderful trip with stressing about sitting in traffic or missing the flight?

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I am basing on the history of SW. I see that they have had the same flight schedules for this October and still running currently up til April. They offer the same flight at the same times over and over again on a Sunday so I am assuming they will keep it constant. I of course don't know 10% but I am using it as a guideline as to either wait for them to open or book when United and Delta opens up which should be probably another month.

 

So given all the traffic you would still choose to take the 12:25 flight out of LGA? I just don't want to ruin a wonderful trip with stressing about sitting in traffic or missing the flight?

 

In general Sunday morning has lighter traffic than other days/times. With no traffic delays at all, the trip is as short as 20 minutes. Even allowing for twice that you still should have more than enough time to make your flight.

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  • 3 months later...

Thoughts/comments of recent LGA traffic congestion "mess" ... post major snow storm related, ongoing airport re-development remained as work in progress. See attached pix for those unfamiliar / never been to LGA in visualizing.

 

Live & work around 3 miles from LGA, airport with short haul and domestic flights only (aside from those to/from Canada) and shortest runways - compared to EWR and JFK, both much larger with longer runways and international arrivals & departure - please keep these differences in mind, along with other factors, all thoroughly discussed & debated in ongoing basis.

 

Here - pix #1 - early Friday afternoon, Jan. 27th, 2017 - traffic on the GCP (Grand Central Parkway) before the exit for LGA, westbound, heading toward Manhattan - light to moderate traffic moving at the speed limit, no problems whatsoever, some congestions inside - must be about 100+ taxis in the big "holding pen" waiting for their turns to pickup pax.

bcf14abc16cea3fd0862d974e0b5af77.jpg

 

Friday afternoon, traffic in & around airports are bad, always bad no matter which one and if it's a holiday weekend and/or before/during/after major weather events (snowstorms or summer or rain/thunder-storms, etc. LGA is clearly less than a world-class airport in the eyes of seasoned travelers, not even JFK or EWR (both are relatively better ... and now, free WiFi enabled, at least at JFK, our own favorite). BTW, NYC subways train platforms & concourses now has free transit WiFi, it's good & welcoming for oversea visitors and I can assure you, it's superior to cruise ship's so-called paid WiFi services, faster & better, at no charge. Pix #2- this is the SSiD you want to look for, it's "open" and unsecured, use at your own risk, as always - like Starbucks & McDonalds (we use VPN for stronger security)

8c5c41dc0946d98c73ce80ef0e92cf83.jpg

 

For most cruise ship pax, arriving & departing - morning is typically most important & critical, in getting here on-time and making ground transportation connections, reach the cruise terminal and completing check-in to avoid missing the sailing. Or, in a prompt & smooth disembarkation, getting into one's preferred transfer options (car service, taxi, shared shuttle or motor coaches/buses, etc.) to the airport of choice, time to check-in & drop off luggages and clearing TSA security. Some elements are beyond cruiseline and our (you & me) control - like weather, roads and traffic conditions, etc. - even with trip insurance, scheduling with minimal time for delays & errors are what they are ... play the odds & sometimes, you lose and scramble for backup plans.

 

Pix #3 - passing LGA, near Delta's terminal, westbound on the GCP - notice the 2 partially completed new parking complexes.

209bf1702877e35bdb2697864032e9d4.jpg

 

Back to LGA, airport construciton for 2 new multi-story parking structure are ongoing & the interior rerouted service roads are the bottleneck these days. It is bad but not horrible, traffic do move, sometimes more slowly than others - peak period and rush hours, of course. Otherwise, it's relatively smoonth most of the time - I drive by the area on a fairly regular basis and there are bypasses & side streets to cut thru, close enough - to pickup and drop someone off, with a 22" roller or spinner & backpack/carry-on - and do that 10 or 15 mintues walk or sit in traffic for 30 to 45 minutes. After a foot of snow got dumped onto LGA & nearby neighborhoods, despite best efforts by highway & airport crews to clear the roads, residual problems remained on the day after - hence, the mess ... not to mention, LGA has the most cancelled flights & many travelers rescheduled for the next day and had to be get there, hangout and go standby as seats get released for no-shows. Not fun at all. Can't say for sure how things went over at EWR (if flying United, we would have to go there ... "no" thanks) JFK has its share of problems - even long haul international flights that did NOT get cancelled on the day of the big snow storm were delayed for as much as 10 to 15 hours due to runway backups & aircrafts diverted/held elsewhere and "timed-out" pilots & crews. (Airports not closed, all 3 stayed open ... but, sleeping cots were out, provided free)

 

Pix #4 - LGA Airport's main exit with 2 lanes, westbound to reach 3 out of the 4 terminals (Marine Air Terminal is further west with fewer flights) - this is where the backup & bottleneck begin, if things go bad. Part of the ongoing problem for decades, traffic lights - unfortunately - to regulate the flow of vehicles coming & going, crossing over the parkway to the other side of the wide roadway.

f48d84d15b18db4476836f075ac796f4.jpg

 

Pic #5 - these are new signs, Terminal B also known as Central Terminal: American, United, Air Canada, and some JetBlue flights. Traffic on highway moving west just a little slower than 1/2 mile earlier, just slightly below the 50 MPH speed limit, extreme right lane. From here, 10 to 15 minutes to curbside for dropoff is not uncommon - it is bad but not horrible.

4262c76a40f08f28382c74e655206fe9.jpg

 

Pic #6 - see the highway overpass, this is where you will see pax running late or not wanting to sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic with tight flight connections getting out somewhere or ditching along here, and start walking ... running with their bags & suitcase. Not fun with deep snow & walk paths with icy slush melting.

260b8550971a49487af917f4fa5febc3.jpg

Edited by mking8288
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  • 2 weeks later...

I live 15 minutes away from the airport. The traffic situation at LaGuardia can be a real mess. However it varies considerably from day to day. There are days when it has been so bad that people have gotten out of the car on the Grand Central Parkway and walked with their luggage into the airport for fear of missing their flight. It can take as long as 1-2 hours to get into and around the airport. Other days there has been no problem at all. This affects the cabs getting into and out of the airport. There are times when you can get a cab right away and get right out of the airport and times when the cabs are all backed up on the parkway waiting to get into the airport. Another scenario is the meter is running while the cab is stuck in airport traffic. For this reason, I strongly advise reserving a car service in advance. Definitely allow extra time to get to the airport.

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  • 1 month later...

Baseball season is back - CitiField nearby on game days will affect arriving & departing pax traffic at LGA, allow extra travel time.

 

Poor weather yesterday and tomorrow's rain/flood forecast will be negatively impacting airport traffic - nearby Grand Central Parkway traffic both yesterday & today was extra heavy during the morning's extended rush hour. Next week is Spring break for area schools - should be a little better, hopefully.

 

Inside LGA Airport - efforts to improve the flow of traffic continued, as of today - a new pilot plan in place for pax at Terminal B (many referred to this as the Central Terminal: United, American, Air Canada, JetBlue & other regional partners). Delta flights are typically at Terminal C & D, plus some at Marine Air Terminal (Terminal A) on the opposite/far side. Here's the latest announcement from Port Authority - about banning car services (FHV's) including Uber & Lyfts from coming to Terminal B to pickup pax on arriving flights ... drivers must go to Parking Lot #10 on the other side of the airport to wait (cellphone lot) and when they have a fare, then allowed to meet & pickup the pax at a new location, a 10 minutes ("Green" color shuttle ride away from the terminal - it is a LONG walk with luggage) ... just look at the aerial picture shown in the update.

http://laguardiaairport.com/news/fhv-pick-up/

 

This local news update has the real story & preview of what to expect and what it's like - allow of plenty of time to reach your car service. Taxis are allowed to pickup just west of Terminal B, without needing to take the Green Shuttle route - lines will likely get even longer during peak time. This is NOT good news for cruise passengers flying into LGA on the morning of embarkation.

http://abc7ny.com/travel/car-services-banned-from-meeting-passengers-at-laguardia-terminal/1839973/

 

Pax taking taxi, car services, Uber or Lyft to LGA for departing flights flying out are NOT affected by this latest "pilot" 1 month change. Frustrated travelers are complaining about not being picked up for 30+ minutes after getting to the new lot on day 1. Stay tuned for further updates or other changes.

 

Once out of the airport's service roadways, the next bottleneck is getting onto the Grand Central Pkwy heading into Manhattan (the "City") whether it's via the RFK Bridge or via BQE to LIE for the Queens Midtown Tunnel (both are tolled - cash @ $8.50 each way or $5.74 with EZ-Pass discount) ... both of them have weekend constructions with lane closures & restrictions.

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Thanks for the detailed update. La Guardia seems to be getting worse rather than better, particularly for folks with lots of luggage. It sounds like airport bus could now be the easiest option with luggage from an LGA terminal.

 

I just wish more cruisers would ask advice before they book flights. Cape Liberty cruisers seem to get it that they should fly into Newark, but I'm not sure that Newark Airport is even on the radar for Manhattan cruisers. And who knows what the Brooklyn cruisers are doing? We get so few questions about cruising from Brooklyn.

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The last time I had to go to Terminal B, stayed on the GCP and went to Terminal A and took the direct Bus to B the only stop. Was much quicker then the time before driving directly to B to be dropped off. Of course I'm was not traveling on a cruise with everything but the kitchen sink.

 

Terminal A only has Delta flights to and from DCA and ORD, probably just sitting on the Gates so no one else gets them. Always Yellow Taxi's at the Marine Air Terminal they have arrivals there well after the last 7pm-ish departure.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Reading this thread makes me think of that line from Futurama - "No one drives in New York, there's too much traffic."

 

That line is just a rip off of something said by Yogi Berra decades earlier about a restaurant in St. Louis he no longer went to: "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."

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